Ball and runway toy



y 7, 1953 M. P. MARONG 2,644,270

BALL AND RUNWAY TOY Filed Nov. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor July 7,1953 M. P. MARONG 2,644,270

' BALL AND RUNWAY'TOY Filed Nov. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

In ventar Michael R Marang ft' m u" BALL AND RUNWAYTQY" '1 MichaelP.Marong,Warsaw; Y.

'Appjueauosma'nm 7,1949, Serial No. 125,956

My invention relates to ball and runway toys and is designed asanflimprovement over/the toy of my U. S. Patent Noi2,466,116 dated April5, 1949. Y

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simplified amusingtoy of the type in which a ball is caused to travel in a manipulatedrunway member, and which requires less dexterity to that of said member.

View of my invention, together with the precise Figure 2 is a view intransverse section taken I on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in plan of a modified em bodiment of my improved toy;

Figure '5 is a view in edge elevation partly broken away and shown insection;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective drawn to a smaller scale andillustrating the manner in which the toy is used, in the modifiedembodiment.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, and first to Figures 1, 2 and3, my improved toy in the preferred embodiment thereof, comprises anannular, hollow runway member I' for a ball 2 fitting loosely therein.

The runway member I comprises a tubular segment 3 of sufiicient lengthto provide a hand grip and by means of which the ball 2 may roll in therunway member I through a hand grasping said segment 3. The remainder ofthe runway member is substantially tubular and provided with internal,preferably square, notches 4 spaced apart equidistantly around the innercircumferential portion of said member to provide sight openings spacedaround the member substantially in correspondence with the length of thenotches circumferentially of said member I.

The notches 4 are slightly larger than the diamstrong material,such-aspas 1c, I formed-of similar material contr ting i In using thedescribed toy, the ball 2 may be inserted in the runway member I throughany notch 4, the segment, or hand grip 3, grasped by one hand, as shownin dotted lines, in Figure 1, and the runway member I manipulated with acircular motion cause the ball 2 to roll around said member I and beretained therein under the action of centrifugal force, the ball beingintermittently visible through the notches 4 and hidden from ,viewintermediate said notches. If it is desired that the ball 2 shall not betouched by hand, in entering the same in the runway mem her I, saidmember I may be laid flat on a table,

or the like, with the ball 2 within the confines thereof and said memberthen slid to move a "notch 4 toward the ball 2 to enter said ball in thenotch for picking up by manipulation of said member I with a circularmotion. As will be seen, the. invention providesfor the ball 2 rollingaround the runway member I while said mem-- her is grasped in the handand thereby obviates providing a separate handle on said member. Thenotches 4 obviously provide for flash visibility of the ball 2. which,together with the dexterity required to keep the ball 2 rolling and inthe runway member I, makes the toy particularly interesting andappealing to children.

In the modified embodiment of the toy illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6,an annular run-. way member 5 is provided with fiat top and bottom sidesI and 8, respectively, and an internal transversely arcuate groove 9extending around said member and forming with the bottom side 8 a.bottom feathered edge I0 onsaid member. A diametrical handle bar II issuitably fixed to the top side 1 of the runway member 5 with a knurledcentral hand grip section I2. A ball I3, substantially smaller indiameter than the groove 9 is provided for rolling around said groove.

In using the modified embodiment of the toy, the runway member 5 is laidflat on a table or other fiat surface with the ball I3 on said surfaceand within the confines of said -member. The handle bar II is thengrasped, and the runway member slid toward the ball I3 andsaid ballpicked up with a circular motion of said member to lift the ball intothe groove 9 by. means of the feather edge I0, after which said member5-may be manipulated with a rotary circular motion to keep the ball I3rolling in the groove 9 under the action of centrifugal force.

' 3 The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to immotion to causesaid ball to roll around the part a clear understanding of my invention,withmember and be retained therein under the action out furtherexplanation. of centrifugal force, and a handle on said mem- Manifestly,the invention, as described, is ber for manipulating 'the same, saidmember susceptible of modification, without departing 5 beingsubstantially tubular with circumferential from the inventive concept,and right is herein notches spaced around the inner circumferentialreserved to such modifications as fall within the portion thereofproviding for flash visibility of scope of the appended claims. the ballas it rolls around said member, said Having described the invention,what is handle comprising a tubular segme l portion claimedlaser ewiszr. n 7. 10 of said member extending between two of said 1. A mycomprising; a; ball, an 'ollovv Tlid ci erentialportion. runwaymemberfor the ball 'in'which said'ball y according to claim 1 whereinsaid is visible and for manipulation with a circular ,,.,notches are ofa size to pass said ball theremotion to cause said ball' to roll aroundthe hrough into and out of said member. member and be retained thereinunder the action; 415 J; of centrifugal force, and a handle onesa idmern- H MICHAEL her for manipulating the same, "saidir'reinber "'"'ggbeing substantially tubulargwith;circumferential; notches spaced aroundthe inner circumferential 'Cited in the file of this patent "UNITED'STATES PATENTS portion thereof providing for flash visibili'tfofo NameDate the ball as it rolls around said member. 591,876 Pace Oct. 19, 18972; A toy oo'rrlprisi'ng; a ball,-'-'an annular hollow 1;815-;378 1LMenkus et a1; .Ju1y 21',;,193l

runway memberfor the-ball in whicli said-ball 2;466;116n,v.. eMarong:;;;;;.r,Apr. 5', 1949 isvisible and for manipulation with a circularx-536393; e:Regenold. hr Jan; 2;,1951

